UN Report Warns: Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza & West Bank Amid Forcible Transfers

A new UN Human Rights Office assessment concluded that patterns of violence, destruction, and displacement between November 2024 to December 2025 across Gaza and the occupied West Bank are raising concerns about ethnic cleansing, underscoring mounting legal and diplomatic strain surrounding the conflict.

Destruction And Demographic Shift

Covering the period 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025, the UN report describes “intensified attacks,” the “methodical destruction of entire neighbourhoods,” and the “denial of humanitarian assistance” in Gaza. These measures, it states, “appeared to aim at a permanent demographic shift.”

The report documents the killing and maiming of large numbers of civilians and the collapse of remaining infrastructure. It links deteriorating humanitarian conditions to restrictions on aid entry and distribution, describing “conditions of life increasingly incompatible with their continued existence in Gaza as a group.”

At least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, were recorded as having died from starvation during the reporting period. The UN Human Rights Office said that any use of starvation as a method of war constitutes a war crime, adding that such conduct may also qualify as crimes against humanity or genocide depending on intent.

Impunity is not abstract - it kills. Accountability is indispensable.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk

War Crimes Threshold Examined

The report states that patterns of Israeli attacks “raised grave concerns” that civilians and civilian objects may have been intentionally targeted. It further notes concerns that certain operations were launched “knowing civilian harm would be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.”

Such acts, the Office underlined, would constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law. The findings highlight what the report calls a “pervasive climate of impunity,” stating that no meaningful accountability steps have been taken by Israel’s justice system.

Among its recommendations, the UN urged states “to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms” facilitating violations in the occupied Palestinian territory.

West Bank Control Measures

In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the report details what it describes as systematic unlawful use of force, arbitrary detention, and extensive demolition of Palestinian homes. These measures, it says, are “used to systematically discriminate, oppress, control and dominate the Palestinian people.”

The assessment also references “concerning incidents” involving the Palestinian Authority, citing allegations of unnecessary or disproportionate use of force.

Separate developments have intensified scrutiny. On February 15, Israel approved the registration of large areas of West Bank land as “state property,” the first such authorization since 1967. Palestinian officials characterized the decision as a step toward de facto annexation.

More than 80 UN member states on February 17 condemned Israel’s recent West Bank measures, warning of dispossession risks. The UN Secretary-General cautioned that the policies could accelerate land fragmentation.

The Guardian documented instances in which shops were ordered closed by the IDF, with residents instructed to clear areas so Israeli “tourist” settlers could move freely. Shops are closed one by one, residents are told to leave, and some people are prevented from returning to their homes.

The report highlights how such disruptions have become normalized, with daily life repeatedly halted to accommodate settler movements.

Political Signaling And Displacement Debate

Political rhetoric has further shaped the debate. Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would push the next government to “encourage migration” of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.

Efforts linked to a US-led “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” which entered into effect on 9 October 2025, were acknowledged in the report. However, the UN said the absence of accountability mechanisms since October 2023 represents a “critical gap.”